State of the market

[Lolas Cat]

This is a large scale Sybase Upgrade program and will definitely continue on into 2011 but will start at 3 month. Come on who would like to make the first bid.

Go on take a chance, you might be right for the role. Hit that little apply button

From jobserve.com.au. That's agent-speak for 'somebody pleeeeze apply for this role!!!!'

There are tons more like it.

That's what happens when so many aussies have moved to London to do contracting. :P

[saptastic]

Bearing in mind the comments on this thread here are some contract/fixed term jobs direct with employers.... www.itcontractjobs.co.uk - seems to be more here than usual........... maybe some companies are missing out the agents.... (and thus the inflated daily rate)

[rootsnall]

Simple, it's natural resources and demand in Asia that's driving the economy, the exchange rate etc... The boom in exploiting natural gas resosurces is looking very much like it might totally economically transform the whole of Australia from what I can see. It is possible that in the next 10 to 15 years that Oz might be the world's largest exporter of LNG (liquefied natural gas). Certainly, the landscape for all engineers in O&G is booming, I have seen salaries for permie jobs in Oz that are more than double the permie salary for the same job in the UK. The exchange rate has had a lot to do with that but it is a fact. Unfortuantely, at almost 54 I'm too old to be let into Oz.

It's also a lot to do with the money printing in the US and elsewhere. All that cheap money needs to find a home and interest rates are a lot higher in Oz. It's a bubble and it will pop at some stage.

[zamzummim]

Haven't looked for a contract for the last 18 months, am a BA just looked on jobserve, and it seems quite bad, its even worse than the height of the recession last year ... is this everyone's perception? Is it cuz the time of the year?

[monobrow]

Haven't looked for a contract for the last 18 months, am a BA just looked on jobserve, and it seems quite bad, its even worse than the height of the recession last year ... is this everyone's perception? Is it cuz the time of the year?

my 2 pence? make no mistake - its bad. and its going to get a lot worse before it gets better. "The 2008 recession" was "solved" by QE by propping up the markets and keeping the economic wolves at bay - but it was an economic recession, not a labour one - if that makes sense. clearly economics is more complicated than that, but you may or may not get my drift.

now the real fun begins, the job losses in the public sector are the tip of the iceberg and our house of cards built on debt and greed and inflated house prices for the last 20 years or so will implode.

apart from that, we're doing great!

[ravedave]

I just did a quick search and the market re number of jobs looks much the same as ever and the rates look to be a lot, lot higher than a year ago, certainly in my area. I think this doom and gloom is unfounded. Bearing in mind most people when in contract will be less likely to visit this and job sites in general so the few negative posts are very unrepresentative of the market as a whole (I popped on here for first time in 6 months for other reasons). I've never worked in the public sector, though some jobs have felt like that so the cuts only effect may be unleashing more competition, though I'm not scared by ex-public-sector workers. It is the run-up to Christmas so I'd expect it to slow down a bit until Feb. As a contractor you should have cash in the bank + other clients you do bits of work for + ability to generate your own work (knock up some shareware apps, iphone apps, facebook app?), don't sit there like a muppet waiting to be fed by some benevolent employer you are a business after all, aren't you!

[krytonsheep]

. I think this doom and gloom is unfounded.

At the moment I would disagree. There's too many contractors and not enough roles.

(knock up some shareware apps, iphone apps, facebook app?), don't sit there like a muppet

You're right, but when you're under financial pressure to pay the bills and you're struggling to find a contract it can be quite debilitating.

[Fred Bloggs]

Outside of Aberdeen and London, process engineering is dire, dead.

[SueEllen]

Haven't looked for a contract for the last 18 months, am a BA just looked on jobserve, and it seems quite bad, its even worse than the height of the recession last year ... is this everyone's perception? Is it cuz the time of the year?

All the roles I've had since the recession haven't been advertised.

You need to get your CV out on every job board and get in touch with all your contacts.

[MarillionFan]

Must just me be. I thought the market looked OK.